


A Paragon of Light

by goldenhand9107



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Episode: s02e13 You Can't Save Them All, F/M, Introspective Landon, Landon POV, Landon-centric, Missing Scene, One Shot, Phoenix Landon, Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2020-02-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22760827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenhand9107/pseuds/goldenhand9107
Summary: Landon's inner monologue for how he manifests his fire wings.Basically a missing scene for 2x13 which fills in the gaps from Landon's POV. Canon compliant
Relationships: Landon Kirby/Hope Mikaelson
Comments: 5
Kudos: 51





	A Paragon of Light

Landon never thought he’d get used to seeing people in pain. 

He never imagined that, no matter how screwed up his life got, he’d still maintain the simple notion that pain was unnatural. Irregular. An anomaly. Suffering wasn’t a regular occurrence that you’d encounter every other week. 

But then he ended up at the Salvatore school. 

Whenever Landon thought about his life before he met Lizzie and Josie and Dr. Saltzman and all the rest, it seemed unrecognizable. So much had changed, altered his understanding of himself and the world around him. But, that wasn’t something he was struggling with now. He’d come to terms with that fact long ago. 

No, now, right in this moment, Landon was struggling to understand how he’d grown accustomed to seeing people close to death. 

Mr. Williams gasped and coughed as he lay on the ground, the tip of the arrow barely peeking out of the hole in his chest. Landon had fiercely put pressure against it, just as he’d seen done many times before. Fear pounded in his heart, and his voice wavered when he spoke. 

“You’ll be okay.” Landon stuttered. “I’ll go get help. You’ll be okay.” He was being as insistent as he could, mustering up all the certainty he could bear. 

“You won’t make it in time. Just stay with me.” Mr. Williams breathed. He wasn’t wrong, about the timing; Landon knew that. He just wasn’t ready to accept it. 

Mr. Williams grunted, presumably from the blood loss. Landon knew the pain of death all too well, and along with his own fear, pity started to rise up in the back of his mind. He could never wish something so horrible on anyone. 

Mr. Williams got Landon’s attention again by speaking. “Landon. It’s alright. It’s not your fault. Alright?” He gasped out. Landon nodded furiously, struggling to remain calm and process what his teacher was trying to tell him. 

“No matter what happens, you’re still one of the heroes.” He insisted. There was that godforsaken word again: _Hero_. 

“Okay.” Landon responded quickly, but it was more of a reflex than acknowledgement. 

“You hear me? No matter what.” Mr. Williams words slowed. Landon knew what the man was doing; releasing Landon from guilt was honorable, and a kind thing to do for a angsty teenager like himself. A sacrifice like the one he'd just made wasn’t something to be taken lightly. 

Landon didn’t even process if he responded that time. Mr. Williams’ eyes closed slowly, as the life started to leave him. Landon’s breath hitched. 

“No, Mr. Williams?” He pressed harder on his wound, but time was running out. Landon’s face broke and he held back tears of frustration, anger and sadness. How was he supposed to be a hero if all he could do was watch?

Landon panted angrily, desperately searching for something, anything to do. He wanted to call out for help, but he didn’t want the man who shot the arrow to get any ideas that Landon was helpless. He needed time. He needed more time. 

Something shifted inside him. It was strange but also familiar, and it held a type of warmth Landon could grasp onto. He was confused, for a moment, before realizing where he had felt this type of warmth before. 

The last time him and Hope kissed. The last time he flew. 

**_Flying_**. Shit, he could fly! Couldn’t he? Maybe? He could float, at least, but that must count for something, right? Ideas rushed around his head, as he stared at the teacher who was loosing minutes right in front of him. 

He desperately tried to grab onto the part of himself he’d accessed before, the part he didn’t fully understand yet. The phoenix part. He grunted and panted, never breaking his stare at Mr. Williams, who kept him motivated beyond all else. He thought of Raf and Josie and Dr. Saltzman and….

And Hope. 

She was it. His catalyst. His other half. She kept him grounded, as ironic as it was, and she reminded him of his own inner strength. She was a hero, a protagonist. And she’d told him that he was too. He could be that person, the guy who could defend against suffering. Landon was reminded of those damn comics MG always talked about, and laughed at the thought. Hope would laugh too if she were here; she’d also be cheering him on and telling him to not lose focus. So he didn’t. 

_You can do this Kirby_ , he told himself. Because he could. He knew he could. 

The faint warmth he’d felt before grew. It grew exponentially, until Landon realized it originated at the inner part of his shoulder blades. Mr. Williams’ eyes fluttered as Landon inhaled deeply and yelled, focusing in on that specific part of his back. He felt the power surge inside himself; the power of a phoenix, the bird who could not die, who’s wings were brighter than the sun. That’s how Dr. Saltzman had described it, and when Landon stopped screaming, the barrier had fallen and the warmth was not within him anymore. 

Landon turned slightly, and saw. Brilliant orange flames flickered and roared behind him. He smiled incredulously for a moment as he twisted back and forth to see all of it. They were wings alright. Landon Kirby had _wings._

He stood up, straightening his back, and the wings curled and swayed. He could hear Kaleb’s sarcastic voice in his head, “ _Damn bro, you took the bird thing way too literally_ ”, as if manifesting wings was a choice of his own. Was it? Did he will fire onto his back to help him save Mr. Williams? Or had they always been there, and Landon just never knew till this moment.

Whatever the reason, there was no time to think about it. Landon squatted down and lifted his teacher in his arms. The back of his mind worried about the heat of the wings, but something told him that it wouldn’t be an issue. He cradled Mr. Williams delicately, and without thinking, jumped into the air. 

It was amazing. Flying. It came easily to him, which was a relief, considering how unceremonious the last time went. The wings didn’t feel unnatural but rather an extension of himself, a part he could control as easily as he could lift an arm. After this, he could only imagine all the bird jokes he’d get from his friends; Lizzie was going to have a field day. 

He got lost in his own thoughts, as he soared over the woods, the wings illuminated everything around him with a bright orange glow. There was still a sense of urgency, but he also felt tranquil; something about the night sky was calming.

He soon approached the Salvatore house and began to lower himself in a clearing a few hundred feet away. As he sank from the sky, he realized both Josie and Hope were staring up at him, and Dr. Saltzman was sprinting towards them. He dropped to the ground, almost stumbling, as he made eye contact with Hope. The wings crackled behind him, and he set Mr. Williams down gently for Dr. Saltzman and Josie to look at. 

As soon as he didn’t need them anymore, the wings dissipated as quickly as they came, leaving red embers floating around all of them. Josie and Dr. Saltzman were preoccupied with the man on the ground, who was woken up by now. Landon moved out of the way; he knew the wings were gone, but he hadn’t consciously made them leave. They just did, when he knew he didn’t need them anymore. 

He looked up at Hope again, walking toward her. They shared a look, as bright hot particles of fire danced around them both. Hope gave Landon a knowing smile, and he held onto his smugness as he smiled back. She raced over to hug him, and he hugged her back. They both simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the other was safe. 

The fire bird, the legendary phoenix, who rises from it’s own ashes bathed by flame. He thought about the images he’d seen in books on the phoenix, a magnificent bird vastly spreading its wings. A Paragon of Light, is what the Egyptians had called it. Is that was he was?

He brushed the thought from his mind, and sank deeper into his embrace with Hope. None of it mattered. Not right now. No prophecies, legends, titles, anything. Just being here, safe, united with Hope, was all Landon could ever ask for. They both pulled back and kissed, overwhelmed with immense happiness, as the red hot remnants of a phoenix’s wings floated up into the sky. 

**Author's Note:**

> To clarify: the Paragon of Light term is something I came up with myself and mayyyy double as a reference to another CW show(s). Oops. It just seemed kind of appropriate with all the superhero references they've been making. Anyway.


End file.
